Gout due to Sodium Bicarbonate in Korean Broilers
Title: Gout induced by intoxication of sodium
bicarbonate in Korean native broilers.
Authors: Ejaz S, et al
Publication: Drug Chem Toxicol. 2005;28(2):245-61.
Gout is a metabolic disease that result in hyperuricemia (high
levels of uric acid in the blood) and deposits of urate (uric
acid crystals) in various parts of the body.
An experiment to determine poisoning by sodium bicarbonate in
Korean broilers was performed. In this experiment, 60 birds aged
2 weeks were divided into 5 groups and exposed to various levels
of sodium bicarbonate (2, 7.5, 20, and 40 g/L) for 35 days in
Korean broilers.
Examination of the birds revealed that those exposed to 20 g/L
sodium bicarbonate had gout in their joints and internal organs.
Those exposed to 40 g/L sodium bicarbonate had acute kidney damage
with excessive gout in the internal organs. A few of these birds
even showed symptoms of acute gout in the joints.
These birds also have hyperuricemia, hypernatremia (abnormally
high concentration of sodium ions in the blood), hypokalemia (abnormally
low concentration of potassium ions in the blood), and hypochloremia
(abnormally low concentration of chloride ions in the blood)
Upon further examination by a microscope, the presence of gout
were confirmed by significant deposits of uric acid in the internal
organ, cell death in tubular tissues, and tophi (uric acid crystal)
formation in the kidney.
This report suggest a link between poisoning by sodium bicarbonate
and hyperuricemia, which is a risk factor of gout and other kidney
dysfunctions.
